Steering wheel

Details Steering wheel Steering wheel

2000-03-10

2002-06-11

Kim, Chong H. (Department: 3682)

Machine element or mechanism

Control lever and linkage systems

Elements

Reexamination Certificate

active

06401567

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering wheel having a finisher for improving external appearance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publications Nos. 53(1978)-96128 and 53(1978)40928, and Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 57(1982)-92575 disclose various steering wheels each having a separate molding (finisher) mounted on a cover covering a core of the steering wheel, thus improving the external appearance of the steering wheel. In each of these constructions, the cover of synthetic resin is formed with a groove in which the separate molding is press fitted and fixed by bonding, heating or mating. In order to fix the molding to the cover of soft material, these constructions require heating process or soak-in-solvent process, which is obstructive to improvement in production efficiency.
Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 48(1973)-77829 discloses a steering wheel having a grip covered with a reinforcing cover piece. The cover piece has an ear-shaped extension which covers a spoke and is screwed thereto, thus lowering degree of design freedom.
In addition to covering the grip of the steering wheel with a leather, mounting a molding on such grip is considered so as to improve the external appearance of the steering wheel. Included in such “cover and molding construction” methods are as follows: covering in advance an entire grip with a leather, followed by cutting the leather in an area occupied by the molding; or covering a grip with a leather that is in advance cut in an area occupied by the molding, followed by mounting the molding. The former method is difficult and requires skillful works, thus being obstructive to improvement in production efficiency. On the other hand, the latter method has issues such as; the larger the cutting area the higher the adhesive strength is required when the leather is sewn to the grip. If this adhesive strength is not high enough, it is difficult to carry out high-strength sewing. In other words, sewing with high tensile force the leather that is partly cut causes the leather's cut edge portion to be exposed from a back surface of the molding. This ends up as a deteriorated external appearance. To prevent this, it is necessary to carry out sewing with comparatively low tensile force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel presenting an improved external appearance by mounting a separate member on its grip.
According to the present inventions a steering wheel comprises a core, a cover covering at least a part of the core, a mount member mounted on the cover and a finisher mounted on the mount member.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3823618 (1974-07-01), Broyer
patent: 4590340 (1986-05-01), Koike et al.
patent: 6065366 (2000-05-01), Koyama et al.
patent: 298 03 133 (1998-05-01), None
patent: 198 46 824 (2000-04-01), None
patent: 48-77829 (1973-09-01), None
patent: 53-40928 (1978-04-01), None
patent: 53-96128 (1978-08-01), None
patent: 57-92575 (1982-06-01), None
patent: 0164265 (1984-09-01), None
patent: 0194968 (1987-08-01), None
patent: 0176771 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 0176772 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 404154481 (1992-05-01), None
Translation of Preliminary Report on a German office Action dated Oct. 10, 2001.

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